Date: Thu, 22 Feb 96 03:59 EST
From: Maggie Heineman
Subject: Pennsylvania Expose - February 22, 1995
==================================================================
Pennsylvania Expose - February 22, 1996
To subscribe to Pennsylvania Expose, email pa-explv@critpath.org
Put a one-line message in the body:
subscribe pa-explv YourFirstName YourLastName
==================================================================
A. Expose the Right! Campaign - People for the American Way
B. Pennsylvania Expose - Fight the Right Network
C. Philadelphia "Nuke the Newt" Demonstration - Citizen Action
D. Scapegoating and Reactionary Populism - Political Research Associates
E. Letters - Interfaith Working Group
F. Calendar
===================================================================
A. Expose the Right! Campaign - People for the American Way
Republican Candidates did such a good job of demonstrating that the
religious right is driving the party agenda, they didn't need the
help of People for the American Way's Expose the Right! Campaign.
Expose the Right! provides a useful model for state and local races.
Questioning DOLE:
At a press conference in Manchester, New Hampshire:
expose: "Senator Dole, earlier today you said that you were
opposed to discrimination."
dole: "That's right, oh yeah, I'm opposed to discrimination."
expose: " ... Would you endorse legislation that would make it
illegal to discriminate against gay men and women
(He turns away.)
expose: "Senator Dole ..."
dole: "We're not having a press conference."
Subsequently in Marshalltown, Iowa:
expose: "You told a People for the American Way member in New
Hampshire that you were against dismissing someone because they
were lesbian or gay."
dole: "No, I think I said I didn't believe in discrimination."
expose: (Tries again to push with the question.)
dole: "I don't believe in discrimination, and I know the question
that.... You people have been following me everywhere. We're very
happy to have you in Iowa. Anybody else have a question?"
While Dole was quite unhappy about being exposed, Buchanan
was alway happy to flash before an audience.
"[Parents] have a right to insist that Godless evolution not
be taught to their children and their children not be
indoctrinated into it."Pat Buchanan, Associated Press newswire,
February 19, 1996.
"Buchanan has also proclaimed support for oil drilling in the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and for more aggressive logging
in south east Alaska's Tongass National Forest." Reuters
Information Service, January 25, 1996.
The Expose the Right! Campaign is reported on the web at
http://www.mainelink.net/expose/ and in the February 16
issue of The New Republic.
===================================================================
B. Pennsylvania Expose - Fight the Right Network / PA Alliance
The Fight the Right Network (FTRN) has established a one-way
Internet List pa-explv (Pennsylvania Expose - Low Volume)
Pennsylvania expose is also distributed through ftr-PA and ftr-l
Material for submission to Pennsylvania Expose should be sent to
---Maggie Heineman [maggie@critpath.org]
The FTRN, with the cooperation of Critical Path, will provide
high-tech resources to the Pennsylvania Alliance for Democracy. An
unmoderated discussion group pa-expose (Pennsylvania Expose) will
supplement the moderated list ftr-pa, also hosted by Critical Path.
===================================================================
C. Philadelphia "Nuke the Newt" Demonstration - Citizen Action
Gingrich blamed the unions. On February 19, people from dozens
of groups protested on Market Street while Gingrich met with
$5000/ticket supporters on the 52nd floor of the Mellon Bank
Center. Gingrich was quoted in the next day's Philadelphia
Inquirer, "I wish you'd go ask the unions how much did they spend
on this? Should that count as a campaign contribution?"
Is Newt kidding himself? Citizen Action contacted the Fight the
Right Network on Thursday, morning, February 15 with news that
they had received a fax of an invitation to the Gingrich fundraiser.
Governor Ridge and Congressman Fox would be there and the price of
admission was $5000. By the time the Fight the Right Network
started spreading the word on the Internet, Citizen Action
had already contacted dozens of organizations by phone and fax.
It really was *not* an expensive operation. There were about
300 people at the rally and indeed about 25% of them were from unions.
Pennsylvania Governor Ridge and Philadelphia Inquirer columnist
David Boldt have a similar problem distinguishing between unions and
coalitions. In the battle for tuition vouchers, the Pennsylvania
Family Institute (an affiliate of Focus on the Family), the governor,
and the columnist rail against the "teachers union" slamming the
PA State Education Association instead of the Public Education
Coalition to Oppose Tuition Vouchers. The coalition includes civic,
religious, and parent organizations.
===================================================================
D. Scapegoating and Reactionary Populism - Political Research Associates
The cover of this week's Time Magazine shows a hard-hatted Buchanan
and refers to him as the Grand Old Populist. On January 21,
Chip Berlett of Political Research Associates posted an Internet
article adapted from his forthcoming book "Too Close for Comfort:
Right Wing Populism, Scapegoating, and Fascist Potentials in US
Politics"
Berlett says, "Many people presume that all populist movements
are naturally progressive and want to move society to the left,
but history teaches us otherwise."
He notes that "Scapegoating and demagoguery are powerful
tools for reactionary backlash movements, and have been used
effectively to promote a form of right-wing populism, which channels
legitimate anger over declining economic prospects or uncertain
social status towards scapegoats that are easy to blame due to the
existing currents of racism, sexism, homophobia, and antisemitism
flowing through the US social system."
The article, which contains a substantial bibliography, points
out that "The European fascist movements in the 1930's flourished
in a period of economic collapse, political turmoil, and social crisis."
The PRA website is http://www.publiceye.org/pra/
For PRA reports - Select Gopher
Chose PRA Reports from the Gopher menu.
====================================================================
E. Letters - Internet Lists and the Interfaith Working Group (IWG)
The IWG routinely posts letter writing opportunities and model letters
on the Internet on ftr-pa, ftr-l, and the marriage list. Soon the
IWG will announce a nationwide religion list, hosted by Critical Path.
A list of recent IWG letters:
February 1996
A letter to The Economist thanking them for their articles supporting
same-sex marriage and the normalcy of homosexuality, but pointing
out that they had perpaps understated the level of opposition.
A letter to the Philadelphia Daily News thanking them for a column by
Monsignor Adamo in which he said that there was no scriptural basis
for anti-gay discrimination or a ban on condoms, and encouraged
everyone to visit the web page of the Bishop of Partenia.
A letter to the Chicago Tribune arguing against an opinion piece from
Focus on the Family called "Quit Experimenting with Marriage"
A letter to the Philadelphia Daily News arguing against a letter writer
who said that equal rights for gays were special rights.
A letter to the New York Times thanking them for their coverage of the
gay-rights struggle within the church.
Letters to the editors and Stu Bykofsky at the Philadelphia Daily
News correcting comments made by Mr. Bykofsky and syndicated
columnist Mike Royko regarding the Communications Decency Act.
A letter to the Utah Senate Education Chairman regarding Utah's
state-wide effort to prevent the creation of after-school clubs
for gay students.
A letter to the Governor of South Dakota asking him to veto the
state's anti-marriage legislation.
IWG letters are archived at http://www.qrd.org/qrd/religion/orgs/iwg/
======================================================================
F. Calendar
Feb. 22 - 6:30 PM "The Sabotage of Voter Registration in
Pennsylvania", at District Council 47 AFSCME, 1606 Walnut St.
Sponsored by the Committees of Correspondence. 215.242.4103
Feb. 22 - 9:00 PM "48 Hours" CBS - 10: PM Lesbian mothers and
Kristi Hamrick discuss lesbian motherhood and adoption. Hamrick
is the press secretary for the Family Research Council.
Feb. 26 - 7:30 PM "A Community Working Together" at St. Peters
Lutheran Church, Main Street, North Wales. Sponsored by NOW.
Participants include members of GLSTN and PFLAG.
Mar. 13 - 6:30 PM "Town Meeting" at GLBT Community Center.
201 Camac St. Phila. Sponsored by Phila. Freedom to Marry
Coaltion.
Mar. 14 - 7:30 PM "Fighting Words: An Open Letter to Queers and
Radicals" at Giovanni's Room, 345 S. 12th St at Pine, Phila.
Scott Tucker - booking reading and discussion.
Mar. 19 - Women and Welfare Lobby Day in Harrisburg. Sponsored
by the Coalition for Women and Children. 215.928.9801.
Mar. 19-20 Moms and Dads Go to Washington - PFLAG lobbies for ENDA
Philadelphia Coordinator: maggie@critpath.org.
======================================================================
These two telephone numbers will connect anyone in the U.S. to
the capitol switchboard from where they can connect to any
Congressional office: 1-800-962-3524 1-800-972-3524
The numbers are courtesy of the Christian Coalition.
The FTRN tested them on February 2. The capitol switchboard
operators answered.
====================================================================
To subscribe to Pennsylvania Expose, email pa-explv@critpath.org
Put a one-line message in the body:
subscribe pa-explv YourFirstName YourLastName
== Also distributed through ftr-l and ftr-pa
======================================================================
Editor: Maggie Heineman,
Communications Working Group
Fight the Right Network